Conversations with Sonia Sol

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonia Sol.

Sonia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been drawn to the arts. I grew up in a deeply musical home in Hartford, Connecticut, raised by first-generation American parents, my mother is Jamaican, Lebanese and my father is Spanish. From a young age, I was surrounded by a blend of sounds, from the Latin and Caribbean influences in my community to the wide range of world music my parents played at home. We truly listened to everything, and that openness continues to shape my sound today.

I always continued my music education through out school, but athletics were a huge part of my life at the time. I was a gymnast and cheerleader, and later ran track in college. Being a collegiate athlete instilled a strong sense of discipline and resilience in me, which still carries into my career today.

After graduating at 21, I felt a deep pull to explore the world.. I needed to see new places, cultures, and perspectives! I moved to Costa Rica alone without knowing anyone, and that decision completely changed my life. It became my home, and it’s where I learned how to DJ and formed my own band, which opened the door for me to begin touring internationally. I later found out, I had roots in the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, Jamaican family members who were born and raised in Limon. I believe something in my soul told me to go to Costa Rica for a reason.

While I was performing with my band early on in Costa Rica in 2018, My actual journey as a DJ did not begin until 2020, during the pandemic. This is when I had time to sit alone with myself, and practice blends, make music, and get inspired. Once the world opened up again I began doing small DJ club gigs and even started my own party in Playa hermosa. We called this party Sunday Funday, and it was such a special time in my life.

Living abroad allowed me to fully step into who I am as an artist. While I believe we’re always evolving musically, being immersed in different cultures is what sparked my love for global sounds, and electronic music. Since 2018, I’ve been traveling continuously and have embraced a deeply nomadic lifestyle, drawing inspiration from every place I go.

In 2023, I moved to London, largely because of its culture and its influence on electronic and UK music. I felt an immediate connection to the city, especially through my Caribbean roots, and it quickly became another home. Still, home for me is the world. My life now moves between the UK in the spring and summer, Latin America in the winter, and North America in the fall and holidays. That constant movement is a huge source of inspiration and keeps me connected to my creativity.

Connecticut will always hold a special place in my heart as well, it’s where I founded my music festival, Camp Sol. It’s a project that represents me fully as an artist and reflects my deep love for community, culture, and bringing people together through music.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have experienced many struggles along the way, but as corny as this sounds.. I know everything happens for a reason. Our hardships shape us, and make us stronger. They push us to our limits, so that we are able to take on the world with more knowledge and strength. As I mentioned earlier, I moved abroad because I felt that pull to travel, but I was also in unhealthy environments back home that I believe were keeping me stagnant.

Something in my soul told me I needed to leave, so I spent years 2018-2021 investing into my musical gear, bringing all of my prized possessions to Costa Rica, to make my tiny apartment a home. In 2021, there was a massive storm in Jaco, where I was living. The rainy season always brings heavy storms, but this particular day when it started to rain, the streets got flooded really bad, so we were unable to walk or ride our bikes freely. I was at a coffee shop, waiting out the storm.

Finally when the streets cleared, I came home to find my entire apartment about 4-5 feet under water and mud. All of my equipment was destroyed. I had no insurance, and no funds to replace everything I had lost. I felt so defeated because it took years to get all of that equipment set up. I had my own at home studio.. with almost 15k-20k worth of gear.

The worst part is, I had just convinced my mother to move abroad with me 6 months prior. We lived in the same complex, and her apartment was also destroyed with everything in it. Photos, washed away, notebooks with lyrics I wrote, and so much more. I will never forget hearing her cry when she realized she lost everything.

The flood really switched something in my brain. After that, I stoped investing into a home and started really living out of my suit case. I felt a sense of freedom knowing I had my essentials on my back, and truly all I needed was my music. This set me up for the lifestyle I now live, and pushed me to sublet around the world.. opening up so many doors for me within my career. In a way, that loss became a catalyst, if it hadn’t happened, I don’t think I would have explored the world or grown into the artist I am today.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Singer, DJ, Dancer, and founder of emerging underground music festival Camp Sol. I am known for my high-energy performances, unique blends, connection to my audience, and (jumping into the crowd or back flipping on stage if the moment arises lol.)

I love to take people on a journey, and I believe artists who perform have a responsibility to spread positivity, love, and good energy.

Music and the art of performing is extremely powerful and spiritual in my eyes. The ability to transmit positive energy and bring people on a journey can change lives. I feel blessed to know that people can leave my events feeling uplifted, safe, and free.

Aside from my music, I am known for Camp Sol. Essentially a festival for your inner child to be free. I always wanted it to feel like sumer camp for adults, but also a magical fairy forestland with really good music, food, vendors, games + activities, while simultaneously connecting to nature. I believe it is so important for humans to connect with nature, and in a time when technology is consuming us, my goal with Camp Sol was to get people to get back to our roots with nature, rhythm, and dance.

I’m incredibly proud of the community I’ve built, and of creating environments where people feel safe to express themselves without judgment. I love seeing people from all walks of life come together in one shared space for me, that’s the most beautiful part of music. There’s something really powerful about watching people connect, let go, and just be present together.

It was another goal of mine with Camp Sol, to bring my homies from the hood that I grew up in, to an unconventional forest fairyland festival. I wanted to create my dream festival, and while I still have a long way to go, my travels have inspired so much of what I want to continue building. In many ways, Camp Sol is about creating something that didn’t exist for us, especially in a place like Connecticut and showing my community what’s possible.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I honestly don’t tend to view things as “good” or “bad” luck. To me, it’s more about hard work, resilience, and how you adapt to what life throws at you. Challenges don’t feel like bad luck, they feel like necessary parts of the journey that shape who you become.

In my experience, what people might call “good luck” has really been the result of taking risks, staying consistent, working hard, and choosing not to move through life from a place of fear. A lot of people advised me not to travel the world alone, but I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had listened to those voices and stayed in my comfort zone.

Of course, I’ve been in situations that were unpredictable or even dangerous, and some might say I was lucky to come out of them safely. But I see those moments as part of something bigger. I believe everything happens as it’s meant to, and that there’s a purpose behind both the challenges and the breakthroughs.

For me, it’s less about luck and more about trust, trusting the path, trusting myself, God, and continuing to move forward no matter what.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soniasolll/
• Email: soniasolbookings@gmail.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sonia-sol
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/soniasoll
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/camp.sol/

Image Credits
Simona Paulina
Aldo Paolo
Ike Abakah
Outtafocus.art
18motions
Kareemcphotography
Diegoandlovin
Antidoto.club